FURIOUS MPs have demanded a probe after BBC bosses were accused of LYING over a celebrity letter that backed the under-fire broadcaster.

The BBC has been accused of lying about the celeb campaign letter to David Cameron

The Corporation's press office initially denied it had "anything to do" with an open letter sent to David Cameron from high-profile stars such as Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench and Sir David Attenborough.

The letter, signed by a number of A-list celebrities, had warned the Prime Minister that Conservative plans to reform the BBC would damage Britain's global standing.

It claimed that a "diminished BBC would simply mean a diminished Britain" and was endorsed by more than two dozen figures from the world of arts and entertainment.

Some of the BBC's highest-paid presenters also lent their names to the letter, including Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Claudia Winkleman, Graham Norton and Chris Evans.

However, it has since been revealed that Danny Cohen, the BBC's director of television who pockets £327,800-a-year, had orchestrated the ENTIRE involvement of celebrity signatories.

Last night MPs demanded an investigation into whether Mr Cohen had broken the BBC's own rules by secretly asking a host of stars to front the open letter.

James Purnell, the BBC's head of strategy - who is also former Labour minister under Gordon Brown - has also been linked to the suspected secrecy.

They include scrapping popular shows such as The Voice, part-privatising some production facilities and opening the door to replacing the unpopular £145.50 fee with a household tax.

Mr Whittingdale, who has described the licence fee as "worse than the poll tax", is currently exploring whether the BBC's current output "best serves licence fee payers" and has suggested that shows that aren't distinct from other broadcasters'.

The Government has already compelled the BBC to fund free TV licences for people aged over-75 at a cost of £650million.